The company takes the lead in making the most of co-products in new value chains.
Ternium has become a clear example of Circular Economy. Since steel is a 100% recyclable material that when used in the productive processes allows the generation of co-products that are then incorporated into new value chains, achieving maximum use of the resources in different stages.
“We use the scrap as raw material to make our products. In this transformation process, industrial co-products are generated, which are later used and made the most of in other production processes. That way, disposing of is avoided and environmental impact is decreased”, explains Adriana Serna, Environmental Chief.
For example, in the Manizales Plant, scrap goes through the shredder and creates a co-product called fluff. This material is used by a third party that classifies the different types of material, turning it into usable material.
Then, in the steel shop, slag is generated, a co-product used as a sub-base in the construction of tracks. Finally, the steel is transformed and solidified in the lamination process, where calamine is extracted and is later used for creating cement.
This way, the company operates under a Circular Economy model that allows making the most of around 40,000 tonnes of co-products every year, a surplus of the industrial process.
This model provides important environmental, social, and economical benefits since steel is an essential material to achieve a sustainable future that contributes to the future development of the industry and the country.
We produce sustainable steel by making the most of scrap as raw material, recirculating water, and getting our co-products re-incorporated to new value chains, transforming them into a clear example of Circular Economy. Such a model looks for the resources to be re-used in different stages.